HUDSON VALLEY LEGAL
ADVOCATES STAND UP
FOR WOMEN IN POVERTY
BY RYAN DEFFENBAUGH

J

rdeffenbaugh@westfairinc.com

oanne Sirotkin, the attorney-in-charge of the Legal
Services of Hudson Valley’s
White Plains office, went to law
school with just one focus: domestic violence.
After starting her career in
private practice, she joined Legal
Services of the Hudson Valley in
2013 to work as a domestic violence services attorney manager.
While she has since expanded her
role, she describes her work with
the organization, which handled
2,276 cases involving domestic
violence last year, as giving a sense
of “spiritual satisfaction.”
And that’s the message that
Legal Services of the Hudson
Valley stresses to clients entering
its specialized Domestic Violence

Unit. The unit includes 10 attorneys, four supervisors and three
paralegals on staff experienced
and dedicated to fighting for victims’ rights.
About 70 percent of the nonprofit legal service’s clients are
women, and domestic violence
cases make up a large chunk of
the services Legal Services of the
Hudson Valley provides to them.
Legal Services of the Hudson
Valley offers free legal services to
anyone with income at 200 percent or below of the federal poverty level, set yearly by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human
Services. In 2016, a single person
with an income of $23,600 or less
would qualify for the services, as
would a family of four with no
more than $48,600 in total household income.

From left: attorneys Joanne Sirotkin, Barbara Finkelstein and Jill Bradshaw-Soto at Legal Services of the Hudson Valley in White Plains. Finkelstein is CEO of the nonprofit
serving low-income residents in seven counties.

The fact that more than twothirds of the clients who require
the legal nonprofit’s services are
women matches up with national
statistics on women and poverty.
In the U.S., women of all races and

demographics are more likely to
be poor than their male counterparts. A female-headed household
is twice as likely as a male-headed
household to be living below the
poverty rate, according to a 2015

report by the National Women’s
Law Center.
In Westchester, 28 percent of
female-headed households with
children live in poverty, accord» LEGAL SERVICES, page 20

Will minimum wage hike help or hurt
New York economy? Experts don’t agree
BY BILL HELTZEL
bheltzel@westfairinc.com

T

o understand what’s at stake
if New York adopts a $15
minimum wage, consider
home care agencies.
The agencies assist elderly,
handicapped and chronically

ill people, and enable them to
remain independent at home.
The services cut health care costs
by keeping patients out of more
expensive nursing homes and
hospitals.
Most clients are covered by
Medicaid. But funding has not
increased in recent years, so as

costs have gone up company
profits have been squeezed.
“We don’t control our monies,” said Sasha Guillaume, CEO of
Mrs. G’s Services, a Port Chester
home care agency that serves
about 600 clients in New York
City, the Hudson Valley and Long
Island. “If we don’t get additional
funds, everything will become
extremely difficult.”
MaryEllen Gibbs is a home
care companion who makes $10
an hour. Last year, including overtime, she cleared $24,000. That’s
not enough, she said.
Her rent has doubled in the
past decade but her wages have

barely budged. She depends on
friends to help occasionally with
rent, phone bills and keeping
the electricity on in her $1,510 a
month Riverdale apartment.
“I’m living paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “I can’t keep
going back to my friends.”
The realities of the home care
industry reflect two different economic views that could soon be
tested in New York.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed raising the minimum wage
to $15 from $9, to be phased in
over three years in New York City
and over five years in the rest of
the state. Cuomo and legislative

leaders are secretly negotiating the
issue as they close in on April 1, the
beginning of the state’s fiscal year.
The expected effects of a $15
minimum wage depend on one’s
economic philosophy.
Progressive economists frame
the issue from the point of view of
workers. Federal and state minimum wages have not kept pace
with inflation, so buying power has
eroded. At $9, or $18,720 a year for
a full-time employee, a single parent with two children earns less
than the official poverty line.
The progressive economists
believe that higher wages make
» WAGE, page 6

Biz

$300M development of former United Hospital
focus of attention in Port Chester election

WCBJ

BY RYAN DEFFENBAUGH

®

rdeffenbaugh@westfairinc.com

W

ith all six seats on the Port Chester
Board of Trustees up for grabs in
elections March 15, candidates,
residents and labor and advocacy groups
are focused on one issue in the village: a
proposed $300 million development on the
former United Hospital site.
Following the voting, the board is
now split evenly between Republicans
and Democrats. Republicans Francis
Ferrara, Gene Ceccarelli and Bart Didden
join Democrats Gregory Adams, Daniel
Brakewood and Luis Marino.
They beat independent candidates Alex
Chavarria and Alejandro Payan.
None of the incumbents who ran for
re-election were voted out. Ferrara and
Didden, the winning challengers, take the
places of Trustees Joseph Kenner, who did
not seek reelection, and Saverio Terenzi,
who died in January.
Leading up to election day, much of
the debate among candidates focused on
the United Hospital project. Proposed by
Greenwich-based Starwood Capital Group,
it calls for a 135-room hotel, 217,000 square
feet of medical office space, 90,000 square
feet for retail or small restaurants, 500 residential units targeting young professionals,
230 55-and-over age-restricted residential
housing units and about an acre of open
public space on the property at 406 Boston
Post Road. The hospital that formerly occupied the property closed in 2006. Starwood
Capital Group purchased the property that
same year for $28 million.
A forum hosted March 10 by the
Sustainable Port Chester Alliance — a
20-member coalition of faith, housing,
education, labor and Port Chester resident
groups — pushed the five candidates in
attendance on issues related to the project.
Before that, labor group Build Up NYC
held a voter registration drive in the village aimed at “educating the public on the
importance” public officials have on development projects and whether they steer
them toward community benefit, according
to Mike Halpin, communications director
for the group.
Neither group claims to be against
the project as a whole. Both groups have
expressed concerns with the project contributing to the overcrowding of Port
Chester’s schools and its potential to drive
additional traffic to the area. The alliance
also says that the project could mean the
loss of 134 units of affordable housing at 999
High St. on the United Hospital property.

The Sustainable Port Chester Alliance
wants Starwood Capital Group to agree to a
community benefits agreement before the
project is approved by the village. The agreement, as proposed by the alliance, would
ensure the project provides “good, safe” jobs
to Port Chester residents, require at least 20
percent of the project’s housing be affordable and ask Starwood to help fund expansion of Port Chester’s schools to “ensure
this project does not exacerbate current
overcrowding.”
Five of the eight candidates for the six
open seats on the Port Chester Board of
Trustees showed up for the event.
Of them, only Ferrara questioned the
necessity for a community benefits agreement. He said he came to the forum hoping
to explain the value he thinks the project
will have for the village.
“We need to ask ourselves if the extent
of our asks could very well make a project
completely uncompetitive and not worth
doing,” said Ferrara, who is also chairman of
the village’s industrial development agency.
“Are we willing to miss this economic cycle
to put something on that United Hospital site
that makes sense?”
Ferrara said the site currently pays the
village $650,000 in taxes annually. “Any
intelligent project will pay many times that
in year one,” he said.
Starwood Capital Group is seeking a $60
million PILOT agreement over 20 years. The
project is expected to create 2,800 jobs and
bring in roughly $2 million to the village
school district annually.
The other candidates in attendance,
Adams, Brakewood, Marino and Chavarria,
expressed support for the idea of a community benefits agreement.

Brakewood, also a member of the Port
Chester IDA, said these types of agreements
should be incorporated further into the village’s structure.
“We should have a committee that
supports and advances these things, and
we need to tone that muscle not just for
Starwood but for other developments,” he
said.
Ceccarelli, Didden and Payan did not
attend the forum.
Joan Grangenois-Thomas of Sustainable
Port Chester Alliance says Starwood Capital
Group has so far been unwilling to meet with
the alliance to discuss a community benefits
agreement.
Tom Corsillo, a spokesperson for the project, said Starwood Capital Group “continues
to move the proposal forward” through both
the environmental review process and meeting with stakeholders to finalize the plan.
“As the plan moves through the public
review process, we look forward to more
dialogue with members of the community,”
Corsillo said.
The project is still in the final environmental impact statement and zoning approval process, according to Andrea Sherman,
assistant planner for Port Chester. She said
the FEIS could be adopted by summer, at
which point the village board would start the
site plan approval process.
Terms on the village’s Board of Trustees
run for three years and pay $5,200 annually. Port Chester has used a cumulative voting system since a federal court order in
2010 aimed at making the process more
inclusive to the village’s Hispanic population.
Residents can vote up to six times and can
cast multiple votes for one or more candidates.

estchester resident Lee Witham
has discovered a way to combine
two of his passions, environmental
protection and the game of squash.
Having been involved with the sport for
more than 30 years, Witham is using his
business acumen as president of NortonLED,
a provider of light-emitting diode or LED
products, to launch his recent venture, LED
Squash Lighting.
The lights, designed by Witham specifically for use in squash courts, replicate daylight and help eliminate the glare that pose a
problem with traditional fixtures.
“There wasn’t a light that was good
enough to be lighting a court from 20 feet
in the air without it having so much glare,”
Witham said.
LED lights could bring squash clubs significant savings on electricity and reduce
their overall energy usage. A typical fluorescent fixture in a squash court is 200 watts,
while an LED light is 50 watts. “So straight
away every club will get a 75 percent savings,”
Witham said.
A British native, Witham became increasingly interested in taking steps to protect the
environment after studying and living for
seven years in Germany, a country he says is
“way ahead of anybody else in the world” in
terms of environmental protection. Witham
also coached squash in Malta and England
before accepting a job in the U.S. in 1998, where
he has since trained a number of the country’s
top players, along with keeping employment
outside of the sport while managing a familyowned wholesale florist business and pursuing his environmental interests.
Eight years ago, Witham built an Eco
Net-Zero Energy house in Parksville in the
Catskills, an environmentally friendly home
that features geothermal heating systems and
radiant floors. In the building process, he
realized that LED lighting was “the easiest
thing” that made a large impact on energy
conservation.
Around that time, Witham and his wife
sold the group of wholesale flower shops they
owned, as Witham was “looking to getting
into something else.”
During a trip to South Korea with his
wife, Witham connected with LED lighting
manufacturers in that country, leading him
to start his own American-based business,
NortonLED in 2013. The Elmsford-based company provides LED lights direct from the
Korean-based manufacturer for office buildings, factories, parking garages and warehouses.
“It’s really been growing hugely in the

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last year,” he said. “This is really the time
with LED.”
By importing his products direct from
the manufacturer, Witham is able to keep his
costs lower than many other U.S. companies,
he said.
“It’s cost me a huge amount of money to
get this going, but I see the potential in the
squash market especially,” he said. Start-up
costs for the business have been “more in
the hundreds of thousands than the tens of
thousands.”
Witham is also the squash director at
the Westchester Country Club in Rye, one of
the courts that installed the LED lights this
year. The fixtures have also been installed
at Westchester Squash in Mamaroneck and
Witham aims to have installations in more
than 100 clubs nationally by the end of the
year, with projects already planned at clubs
in Ohio, Massachusetts and New Jersey. The
entrepreneur also plans to expand his business into neighboring Fairfield County.
“It’s a long list,” he said of the upcoming
expansions, adding that if clubs are able to
afford the initial costs, “it’s such a no-brainer
to do.”
The LED fixtures cost roughly $2,241 per
court, while installation costs vary by location. Additionally, Witham’s business carries
Design Lighting Consortium certification,
which allows facilities to earn rebates from
the state or their electrical supply company,
depending on their location. Witham noted
that The Westchester Country Club received
a 45 percent rebate for the entire cost from
Con Edison.
LED lights have significantly longer life

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Squash, page 9

WCBJ | HV Biz

MARCH 21, 2016

3

INBRIEF
NEW DINING AND MALL EXPERIENCE AWAITS
SHOPPERS AT THE WESTCHESTER
Shoppers at The Westchester who miss its
food court, which closed Feb. 15, are in for
a treat: Simon Property Group LP, which
manages the 12-acre, four-level White Plains
mall that opened in 1995, will replace it with
Savor Westchester.

The concept will feature seven different eateries — as yet unnamed — described
as an eclectic array, including some of the
city’s most popular and notable casual dining spots.
Construction has already begun on the
multi million-dollar transformation and is
slated for completion in time for the 2016
holiday shopping season.
Savor Westchester will have 325 seats,

an outdoor al fresco dining terrace new
to The Westchester, a children’s play area,
demonstration kitchen, an entertainment
and technology lounge and concierge services adjacent to the dining area.
“Plans for this area have been developed
with a sense of community and our guests’
comfort and convenience in mind, providing an inviting atmosphere to enjoy a meal
and socialize, indoors or out,” Meghann

Martindale, Simon’s leasing executive for
The Westchester, said.
Shoppers can still dine at the Mariposa
at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom Café, PF
Chang’s, Chef’s Table, Starbucks and Auntie
Anne’s.
Savor Westchester is part of The
Westchester’s transformation, with
an expected completion date of Nov. 1.
Martindale said a major portion of the
work — which includes modernized elevators and lobbies, new flooring of stone
tile and carpeting, energy-efficient LEDlighting in the parking garages and the
mall’s interior, enhanced way-finding signage and upgraded men’s and women’s
restroom facilities — will be done to minimize customer inconvenience when the
mall is open to shoppers.

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commuter rail lines, its own airport, an extensive bus network and seven major highways, it’s easy to reach
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4

MARCH 21, 2016

WCBJ | HV Biz

The way New York funds public education
is overly complicated and could use more
transparency, state Comptroller Thomas P.
DiNapoli said in a report released March
14. DiNapoli called on state lawmakers to
simplify the process during this year’s budget process.
State aid to districts has increased $6
billion to $23.3 billion in 2015-16, according to the report. The proposed state fiscal
year 2016-2017 Executive Budget calls for
an increase of $991 million in state aid to
schools. Total state aid funding for schools
is projected to climb to $28 billion by 2019.
Education aid is the largest single statefunded expenditure within the budget,
making up an average of 23.6 percent of
the state-funded expenditures over the
last decade. The share the state spends
is expected to rise 2 percent in the next
3 years to more than a quarter of the state
budget, according to the report.
Schools are funded in New York by local
property taxes, state aid and, to a lesser
extent, federal aid. DiNapoli’s report noted
that state aid makes up a significant portion
of school’s budgets — 35.9 percent in the
2014-2015 school year.
The state attempted an overhaul of
its system for education funding nearly a
decade ago. That attempt failed, DiNapoli
says, and funding for schools has instead
become more complicated.
“As stakeholders undertake planning
and negotiation for the upcoming budget,
there is an opportunity to work toward a
simplified, more equitable and transparent
model for funding education in New York
State,” the report concluded.
— Janie Rosman and Ryan Deffenbaugh

handful of Westchester residents
recently told officials their thoughts
about parking options for the pedestrian and bicycle path that will be built on
the northern side of the new Tappan Zee
Bridge.
In response to the community’s concerns about parking for the approximately 3-mile path, the Thruway Authority in
2014 collected data from 10 similar bridge
and park facilities, including the Rip Van
Winkle Bridge in Catskill, Westchester
RiverWalk in Tarrytown and Rockland
Lake State Park in Congers, to better estimate how many pedestrians and bicyclists
will use the new bridge. The study concluded Rockland County needs 54 parking spaces. Westchester’s 97 spaces can be
accommodated on the site of the former
state police barracks in Tarrytown, according to the report.
The Westchester parking project would
include construction of a Thruway maintenance facility and a bridge visitors center
fronting South Broadway at a cost of $1.5
million.
Sleepy Hollow resident Daniel Convissor
at a March 15 public hearing in Sleepy
Hollow said the path should be open 24/7
but cited safety as a major concern on the
Westchester side.
“A signalized crosswalk with a median
refuge area is necessary at the intersection of Route 9 and the shared use path,”
Convissor told executive project engineer
Jamey Barbas and Daniel D’Angelo, deputy
chief engineer with the state Department
of Transportation. “The environmental
assessment explicitly says no changes will
be made here. That opinion is dangerously
mistaken.”
Convissor said it would be dangerous
for cyclists exiting the shared use path to
turn left onto Route 119 and similarly for
cyclists riding north on Route 119 who wish
to turn left towards the path.
He said it will generate notable economic activity for the county, attracting
cyclists from Orange, Rockland, Putnam
and Dutchess counties. “We’ll see loads of
cyclists who now ride up 9W on the west
side of the river now swing across the
bridge to Tarrytown to the train and/or
back down this side,” he said.
David Hodgson of Sleepy Hollow, who
said he often uses the bridge, also was concerned about the Route 9 crossing. “I have
an 11-year-old that likes to ride with me, and
this is a chaotic situation,” he said.
Hodgson was one of several cyclists

who want the path to open early in the
morning and to remain open late at night.
David Patel of Tarrytown expressed
surprise that the state didn’t include the
other side of the Routes 119 and 9 intersection, which includes a Tarrytown shopping
plaza across the street from the planned
parking area.
While Westchester Cycle Club director
Mark Garrahan said some bicylists will
drive to the parking area for the six-mile
round trip across the new bridge, another
cyclist said neither the amount of parking
spots
their location in relation to the
TWB nor
Penachio
path
is
a
concern
for members.
WCBJ
7.375”
w x 7.125”
h of cement,” Leanne
“It looks
like a lot
3/8/16said of the proposed Thruway mainBloom
Parking, page 14

An aerial view of the proposed parking area in Tarrytown for users of a walking and cycling path on the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

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workers more productive and less likely to
leave their jobs. Their extra earnings are
plowed back into the economy as they buy
basic products and services they couldn’t
afford before.
Traditional economists frame the issue
from the point of view of employers and consumers. As wages increase, prices for products and services increase. Some companies,
especially larger ones, will absorb the higher
costs. Others will make ends meet by reducing hours, switching to automation or firing
workers. Some businesses will fail.
Cuomo is clearly in the progressive camp.
He describes the minimum wage as a social
compact and he harkens back to Franklin
Roosevelt, who enacted the first federal minimum wage, 25 cents an hour, in 1938.
A full-time worker “should be able to stay
out of poverty, take care of their family and
live with dignity and respect,” he said in his
2016 State of the State policy book.
He declared that $15 an hour will lift
110,000 families out of poverty, directly benefit 2.3 million workers — about a quarter of
the workforce — boost the economy by $15.7
billion and have no discernible effect on the
number of jobs.
The Business Council of New York State
foresees very different outcomes. It estimates

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that $15 an hour will cost 200,000 to 600,000
jobs, according to Zack Hutchins, director
of communications. The hardest hit will be
companies upstate, where the economy has
not fully recovered from the Great Recession
and mom-and-pop Main Street enterprises
that will have less ability to absorb costs or
adapt.
“This will hurt working people,” he said.
While economists debate the overall
effects, they tend to agree that the impacts
will vary from region to region and industry
to industry.
The restaurant, retail and health care and
social assistance industries rely heavily on
low-paid workers. About one in five fast-food
restaurants in New York are likely to close
under a $15 minimum wage, according to
a survey last year of more than 900 restaurants by the Employment Policies Institute
in Washington. Nearly half of the businesses
said they would reduce employee hours or
staffing, and more than two-thirds would
raise prices.
The scale of Cuomo’s proposal makes it
difficult to assess. Moderate increases in the
minimum wage, according to some economic
studies, have had little or no effect on jobs or
hours worked. But Cuomo’s proposal would
increase the minimum wage by 67 percent
in three to five years. That’s on top of an
increase to $9 at the end of last year, from
$7.25 in 2013.

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That’s why the home care industry, where
even a 25-cent per hour wage increase is
hard to absorb, is wary of Cuomo’s proposal.
“We do not oppose a $15 minimum wage,”
said Claudia Hammar, president of the New
York Association of Health Care Providers.
“The crux of the issue is funding.”
Home care agencies in Westchester
County are typically reimbursed $16.80 to
$19.09 an hour for personal care services.
The prevailing wage for aides is $10, plus
$3.22 in supplemental benefits. That leaves
less than $4 to $6 to pay for the nurses they
report to, travel, overtime, training, workers
compensation, and other operating costs.
The association estimates that the
increased minimum wage will cost home
care businesses $239 million in the first year,
according to Laura Haight, vice president
of public policy, and $2.2 billion when fully
phased in in the fifth year.
With profit margins at 1 to 2 percent,
she said, there is no room to absorb more
costs without a corresponding increase in
Medicaid payments. The union that represents health care workers agrees that state
Medicaid funding should be increased. But
it has calculated lower costs: $200 million in
the first year and $500 million by the fifth
year, according to Helen Schaub, director of
policy and legislation for 1199SEIU United
Healthcare Workers East.
The state and federal government split
Medicaid costs evenly. Schaub said the federal government would probably adjust its
rate if New York increases its share.
At the employee level, Gibbs said, an
extra $5 an hour would help her pay bills
without relying on the kindness of friends.
And at age 56, she could start cutting back
from the 60 to 70 hours a week she tries to
work. “I could relax more.”

“They should be paid more,” said
Guillaume, the head of Mrs. G’s Services, who
employs 460, mostly part-time workers. He
said home care work is stressful emotionally,
mentally and physically, but he needs more
Medicaid funding to make the pay raises
work.
Increasing the minimum wage could
have a perverse effect, he said. That’s because
home care workers already are paid above the
current minimum wage. If employees in less
stressful jobs make the same as home care
workers, his workers will leave the business.
If you have a choice between flipping
burgers and cleaning up people, he said,
“most will choose to flip burgers.”
Haight said agencies will merge and some
will close and patients will suffer.
“We could see the collapse of the New
York City home health care industry this
year,” Haight said. Agencies in Westchester
and the rest of the state would begin to feel
the impact by the second year.
Cuomo’s proposed budget does not factor
in additional funding for Medicaid reimbursements. The Democratic-controlled Assembly
supports the minimum wage and has proposed a $200 million boost for Medicaid services. The Republican-led Senate did not
include a minimum wage increase in its budget proposal.
Under New York’s “three men in a room”
budget process, whereby the governor,
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate
majority leader John Flanagan negotiate in
secret, the public probably won’t know until
April 1 whether New York will become the
first state in the nation to enact a $15 minimum wage.
“It’s all rumors at this point,” Haight said.
“Unless you are in that room you don’t know
what’s happening.”

Former hospital exec moves
to CareMount

C

areMount Medical, formerly The
Mount Kisco Medical Group, has
appointed Dr. Robert Newborn to the
positions of deputy chief medical officer and
chief quality officer.
CareMount is a multispecialty group
practice serving Westchester, Putnam,
Dutchess, Columbia and Ulster counties.
The group changed its name in February.
It employs more than 500 physicians in
40 different medical specialties with major
campuses in Mount Kisco, Carmel, Katonah,
Fishkill, Jefferson Valley, Poughkeepsie and
Rhinebeck.
In the new position, Newborn will assist
Thomas Lester, CareMount’s chief medical

officer, in managing
the medical aspects of
the organization.
Newborn was previously vice president
of medical services
at Phelps Memorial
Hospital and Northern
Westchester Hospital,
both part of Northwell
Robert Newborn
Health. Newborn has
clinical experience in primary care, hospital and observation medicine, and urgent
care and emergency medicine. He received
his medical degree from Albany Medical
College.

Evangelical group to make
Dover Plains world headquarters
BY BILL HELTZEL
bheltzel@westfairinc.com

A

Harlem Valley Psychiatric Center. The hospital operated for 70 years and housed as many
as 5,000 patients during its peak in the mid1950s. The 800-acre campus had 80 buildings and its own bakery, bowling alley, ice
cream parlor, dairy farm and power plant.
The site has a Metro-North train station,
enabling residents to travel to Manhattan in
90 minutes.
The hospital closed in 1974 and was abandoned for 20 years. Olivet Management LLC

bought 508 acres in 2013.
Overgrown grounds have been cleared
and building exteriors fixed. The university
submitted a site plan in September to restore
most of the buildings. The first phase will
include creation of offices, dormitories, staff
housing and a primary school for children of
the administration and staff.
The organization wants to build an IT
and research center and retail space eventually.

FOR LEASE

I
VA
EA
AC
SP

n evangelical Christian group has purchased a former summer camp for
the poor in Dutchess County to serve
as its world headquarters and to support mission work.
World Olivet Assembly Inc. paid $30.8
million for 1,800 acres in Dover Plains.
“Basically, it’s a missionary group that
wants to spread the gospel,” said spokesman
Terence Michos.
The property was once owned by New
York City Mission Society, an organization
that was founded in 1812 to inspire hope to
the masses of immigrants arriving in the city.
The society began sponsoring camping trips
for African-American children in 1929 and
eventually established camps in Dutchess
County.

in 2000 in Seoul, Korea by an evangelical
pastor, the Rev. David J. Jang. The Wingdale
campus is an extension of the main campus
in San Francisco.
Michos described World Olivet Assembly
and Olivet University as partners, but distinct legal entities with separate boards of
directors. Anthony Chiu is general secretary
of the Assembly.
The Wingdale Bible school also has a storied past. It is on the grounds of the former

2651 Strang Boulevard
Yorktown Heights, New York

BL

LA

By the 1950s, the society operated Camp
Minisink, Camp Sharparoon and Camp Green
Acres. In 2005, it sold the campgrounds.
For now, the property will be used for
offices. Eventually missionaries will be
housed and trained there.
“We are bringing it back to its original
religious purposes,” Michos said. “What was
decisive for us is the fact that New York
Mission Society used to reside on the property, serving and raising social workers.”
The grounds have a conference center,
dining facility, lodging and recreational facilities. After the missionary society sold it, it
was used as a private hunting and fishing
reserve.
World Olivet Assembly bought three separate properties, from Chippawalla Properties
in Wingdale, Douglas and Kristin Londal of
Bronxville and Fraser Conservation LLC, also
based at the Londal’s Bronxville address.
The $30.8 million came from the organization’s own funds and from a fundraising
campaign, Michos said.
The site is one mile from Olivet University
in Wingdale. The Bible college was founded

E

A SITE PLAN CALLS FOR CREATION
OF OFFICES, DORMITORIES,
STAFF HOUSING AND A PRIMARY
SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN OF THE
ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF.

Lessons from millennials
about work-life balance
Millennials are very guarded
about their time, but we need
flexibility. Any suggestions?
THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: Remember when

you had a life, before you got totally wrapped
up the in the business? Make agreements
with your employees about what is acceptable. Staff your business to allow flexibility
and recovery ability. Happy employees and a
good work environment mean productivity
and profits.
Once upon a time, you probably had a
life outside work that was as important as
the time and effort you put into the business.
Balance between work and personal life can
help prevent burn out, contribute to good
health and lead to stronger interpersonal relationships.
It might be worth getting back to some
work-life balance. How many hours are you
working each and every week? How often
do you interrupt personal plans to attend to
business demands? How many friends do
you have who say, “I haven’t seen you lately”?

When is the last time you took a personal “play
day”? How often do you find yourself running
out of energy or enthusiasm at work? Take a
lesson from your millennials and carve out
more time for yourself.
It’s not so much the hours worked, as
it is the work that gets accomplished in the
time available. If someone is falling behind,
the answer may not be to work more hours.
Instead, help them focus on learning how to
manage time better.
Check that all tools to do the job are up
to date. There’s nothing worse than spending
twice the time needed on some task because
a piece of equipment isn’t working right. Have
a budget and schedule for regular equipment
upgrades.
Be on the lookout for new ways to do
things and be open to changing how things
are done. Look for opportunities to gain higher-level skills. Get smarter, faster and make
fewer mistakes. That, too, can lead to a huge
improvement in mastering the work at hand.
Find out what people want and insofar
as possible, give it to them. For those who

want an extra day off, discuss reducing total
hours and lowering pay. Alternately, consider
expanding hours/day to get to a full fourday work week. Hold most meetings on a
single day each week, so that people can plan
around when you need them to be available
to report in.
As the business grows, so will the workload. Expect that nothing goes perfectly.
Always have recovery time in the schedule,
so that when things do go wrong, you don’t
fall behind. Plan for people to take days off;
ensure there’s enough coverage by hiring
temps, cross training for jobs and adding parttimers to the staff.
Keep in mind that millennials often function best on teams. They’re actively looking for
advice, nurturing and recognition — all things
they were raised on at home and in school.
Building teams to handle the workload allows
them to gain experience, create a culture of
support and education within your company
and sets everyone up for success. Let the team
work out the best way to accomplish goals.
Work groups will rotate work among all mem-

bers and get tasks completed productively,
efficiently and on time.
And a final thought, avoid the temptation
to cut corners on staffing, especially as your
older staff members start to reduce hours
and work toward retiring. Make sure you have
enough personnel coming up through the
ranks to keep things on track. Having enough
people lined up to handle the work and then
some is key to keeping that work-life balance
in check.
Looking for a good book? Try
“Managing the Millennials: Discover the
Core Competencies for Managing Today’s
Workforce” by Chip Espinoza and Mick Ukleja.
Andi Gray is president of Strate�y Leaders
Inc., Strate�yLeaders.com, a business-consulting firm that teaches companies how to
double revenue and triple profits in repetitive
growth cycles. Have a question for AskAndi?
Wondering how Strate�y Leaders can help your
business thrive? Call or email for a free consultation and diagnostics: 877-238-3535, AskAndi@
Strate�yLeaders.com. Check out our library of
business advice articles: AskAndi.com.

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8

MARCH 21, 2016

WCBJ | HV Biz

New public housing, job training
center open in White Plains

The Prelude, a $42.2 million, 103-unit public housing tower in
White Plains.

the skilled workforce that you need.”
Mack Carter, executive director of the
White Plains Housing Authority, noted that
no Winbrook residents were displaced during construction.
“The dream of Winbrook residents to
finally move into new, high-quality homes is
now a reality,” he said. “The Winbrook community can now say with pride, “We are not
being left behind; we are moving forward.’”

Squash —
From page 3

than lighting used at most squash courts.
Witham said that traditional lights need to
be changed every three to five months, while
his LED lights will last about 22 years. “So
it’s obviously a big difference.” He said he
expects that clubs will save between $12,000
to $15,000 per year with the LED lights.
Witham’s lights also feature a polycarbonate exterior, “so even the hardest [hit]
ball can’t break it,” he said.
Witham said he plans to reinvest 20 per-

cent of profits from his squash lighting business into the game he loves. “I’m hoping to
sponsor some of the up-and-coming squash
players in the world,” he said.
Having competed in the Professional
Squash Association World Tour in the early
1990s, Witham knows first-hand the economic struggles of a professional squash player.
“I was a top player myself, and I know how
tough it is outside the top 50 to make a living,”
he said.
Witham also plans to invest profits in tournaments and give discounts to urban squash
programs looking to install the fixtures.

BY JOHN GOLDEN
jgolden@westfairinc.com

W

hite Plains city officials and New
York City developer Jonathan F.P.
Rose were joined by state and federal officials March 10 at a ribbon cutting to
mark the opening of the first new apartment
tower and an education and training center built on the city’s redeveloped downtown
public housing campus.
Formerly called Winbrook Housing, the
White Plains Housing Authority’s 450-unit,
67-year-old apartment complex at South
Lexington Avenue and Quarropas Street was
renamed Brookfield Commons at the start of
its transformation two years ago to a mixeduse, mixed-income community by the housing authority’s private development partner,
Jonathan Rose Cos. LLC. Officials celebrated
the opening of the long-term project’s first
phase, The Prelude, a $42.2 million, 10-story,
103-unit apartment building that houses the
new White Plains Education and Training
Center.
City officials said the center, known as
WPETC, will provide workforce training, in
concert with industry employers in the area,
for Brookfield Commons residents and others
in the community seeking new or better jobs
or starting a new career. They said WPETC will
offer real-time job opportunities in the market
while supporting the employment needs of
the region’s high-growth industries, including
culinary and hospitality, medical and health
care, technology, and entrepreneurship.
The center also will offer training and
education in budgeting, home buying, English
language skills for the workplace, and resume
and interviewing skills.
White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach in a
statement at the opening called the first phase
Brookfield Commons “a unique project in
Westchester County and the region” because
it includes public housing residents in the
greater community and its success, brings
job training and skills development directly
to public housing residents, and strengthens
“the city’s economic position and attractiveness by being able to say to employers and
potential employers, we can provide you with

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and RSM International. AP-NE-ALL-ALL-1015

Visit westfaironline.com/events for the
nominating process. Each nomination should
consist of a minimum of 200 words based
on the criteria provided. Please submit your
nomination and a copy of the nominee’s CV
no later than April 27. For more information
or questions, call Danielle Brody
at 914-358-0757 or email dbrody@westfairinc.com.

Nominations close
April 27
10

MARCH 21, 2016

WCBJ | HV Biz

A CALL FOR

NOMINATIONS
Members of the Westchester business and legal communities are
encouraged to nominate, pursuant to the criteria, one or more
candidates for the following prestigious award categories:
PACE SETTER AWARD: Candidate exemplifies overall excellence in professional and
community work, prominence in the Westchester legal profession and fierce
determination to being as good an attorney as possible. The highest award, the
candidate must be well respected by peers and community.
MOST SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS AWARD: Candidate is dedicated to one or more causes
in the community as an active member or leader and has a significant history of
pro bono legal or government service, which warrant praise and recognition by
peers and community.
LEADING ATTORNEY UNDER 40: Candidate under the age of 40 must be a prominent
and respected attorney in his/her field, active in his/her community offering pro
bono work, published in legal journals/newspaper and promises to be a leading
legal player in the years to come.
LEADING TRUSTS & ESTATES ATTORNEY: Candidate should have a strong record of legal accomplishments in the field of Trusts & Estates including estate planning and
estate administration. The nominee should also be well-respected amongst his/
her peers for his/her expertise in Trusts & Estates here in Westchester County.
MOST PROMISING PACE LAW SCHOOL STUDENT: Candidate, in his/her third year, who
through passion and enthusiasm for the law, high scholastic achievement and
initiative and involvement in school and community activities will be a promising
member of the legal profession.

“WITHOUT QUESTION WINNING THE ABOVE THE BAR AWARD IS ONE OF THE MANY HIGHLIGHTS
OF MY LEGAL CAREER, BUT ITS MEANING IS FAR GREATER. IT CELEBRATES THE RULE OF LAW IN
OUR PROFESSION AND IT RECOGNIZES ALL LAWYERS WHO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS.”
Tejash V. Sanchala
2012 Above The Bar Award Recipient
Leading Labor & Employment Attorney

SPONSORS

WCBJ

WESTCHESTER COUNTY

BUSINESS
JOURNAL

INBRIEF
399 KNOLLWOOD ROAD
NEARS FULL OCCUPANCY SINCE 2015 SALE
Brokers at GHP Office Realty LLC have
brought the occupancy rate to 97 percent
at 399 Knollwood Road in Greenburgh after
leasing 30,523 square feet of office space
since taking over as leasing agent for the
152,000-square-foot office building last July.
The realty firm in West Harrison said
those lease deals at the Class A property
off Interstate 287 were worth $4.5 million.
Jamie Schwartz, executive vice president of
GHP, represented the building’s owner, SKA
Equities LLC, which acquired the former
RPW Group property in mid-2015 for $24.5
million. Schwartz was assisted in the lease
deals by GHP associate Harrison Lyss.
Schwartz in a press release attributed the
stepped-up leasing velocity to “professionals
who want a White Plains address without
paying White Plains CBD (Central Business
District) prices.” He said the building was at
88 percent occupancy when GHP was named
exclusive leasing agent by the new owner.
Schur Management Co. Ltd. in the Bronx
manages the property for the first-year
owner.
GHP highlighted these lease deals at 399
Knollwood:
• Jeffrey L. Sapir, standing Chapter
13 trustee for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court,
renewed and expanded its office space to
5,639 square feet for six years. The tenant
was represented by Craig Ruoff of Rakow
Commercial Realty Group.
• DiLapi & Co., CPA P.C., renewed its
3,066-square-foot lease for seven years.
DiLapi was represented by Craig Ruoff of
Cushman and Wakefield in the transaction;
• Dolgetta Law PLLC newly leased 2,305
square foot of space for five years.
• Ameriprise Financial, Reinas and
Brown Wealth Management, LLC relocated its office from Yonkers and leased 2,278
square feet of space for 10 year
• Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery &
Grill, Inc. newly leased 2,156 square feet of
office space for five years.
• Crown Abstract, Inc., a real estate title
company, signed a five-year lease renewal
for 1,282 square feet. Brokers said Crown has
been a tenant there for more than 13 years.

CUOMO CALLS ON COLLEGE STUDENTS
TO ENTER $100,000 BUSINESS COMPETITION
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is encouraging college students to apply for the seventh annual
New York Business Plan Competition, a startup competition with a $100,000 grand prize
and $500,000 total up for grabs.
Teams pitch a business idea to a panel

of judges, investment bankers and private
equity investors.
Students can apply online at www.
nybplan.com. Semifinal rounds of competitions will be held in 10 regions across the
state, based on the 10 Regional Economic
Development Councils. The deadline to
enter the Mid-Hudson competition is March
15.
• Capital Region: April 1, SUNY
Polytechnic Institute’s Albany site.
• Central NY: April 12, hosted by Syracuse
University.

• Finger Lakes: April 13 at SUNY Geneseo.
• Long Island: April 7 at Farmingdale
State College.
• Mid-Hudson: April 15 at Marist College.
Mohawk Valley: April 8 at SUNY
Polytechnic Institute.
• New York City: March 24 SUNY Global
Center.
• North Country: April 8 at Clarkson
University.
• Southern Tier: April 9 at Cornell
University.
• Western NY: April 8 at Hilbert College.

Since the competition’s inaugural event
in 2010, more than 1,600 student teams
from 75 New York colleges and universities
have competed, earning more than $1 million in cash and in-kind prizes.
“This competition provides some of our
state’s most entrepreneurial students the
opportunity to put their best business concepts to the test,” said Cuomo. “This is a
truly unique chance for today’s brightest
minds — and tomorrow’s business leaders —
to transform their ideas into reality.”
— John Golden and Ryan Deffenbaugh

The New Name
In Local Banking
New Name, New Locations,
Growing To Serve You Better.
“For over 140 years, PCSB Bank has been dedicated
to our communities with a unique and personal
mission to provide the best banking service,
knowing that only a local bank can best meet the
specific needs of a community. I am proud to say
we are growing, and that commitment is stronger
than ever, including the addition of several more
branches to serve you.
We remain honored to be the area’s one
and only true local bank.”
Joseph Roberto
Chairman, President & CEO

Trains highly skilled physicians and researchers
playing a leadership role in preventing, diagnosing
and treating significant and public health threats
and contributor of leadership in disaster management

A biotech company, which seeks to develop proprietary
tissue-protective technologies

2004

Joan M. Fallon
Founder and CEO

Biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of
novel therapies to treat serious diseases for which there are
limited treatment options

2005

Thomas G. Paese
Executive chairman

Clinical-stage biotechnology company that designs and develops
preventive and therapeutic vaccines, predominately focusing on
major chronic viral infectious diseases and their associated
cancers and emerging infectious diseases of public health

2008

Julia P. Gregory
Founder and CEO

Clinical-stage biotechnology company that develops therapeutic
proteins and antibodies for life-threatening, drug-resistant
infectious diseases, particularly those treated in hospitals

This list is a sampling of biotechnical companies located in the region. If you would like to include your company in our next list,
please contact Danielle Renda at drenda@westfairinc.com.

12

MARCH 21, 2016

WCBJ | HV Biz

Carine Joannou
PRESIDENT
JAMIS BICYCLES

Steering her
company forward.
Understanding
what’s important.
Honoring her father’s legacy has been a priority for Carine since taking over Jamis Bicycles. And she’s done just that, steadily
growing the company. So when it came time to choose a new bank, she wanted a financial partner that could help her continue
to succeed. Carine found that in M&T Bank. We’ve put in the time to truly understand both her company and the biking industry
to determine what Jamis needs to keep moving ahead. To learn how M&T can help your business, visit mtb.com/commercial.

tenance facility near where the shared use
path would start. “Forbes called Tarrytown
one of the 10 prettiest towns in America,”
she said. “That doesn’t belong at the gateway of our beautiful town.”
Bloom said the bridge project “could
have been an opportunity to create another Main Street. It (the building design)
certainly doesn’t honor our heritage,” she
said, mentioning historic names and properties. “It makes me sad.”
Tarrytown Village Administrator
Michael Blau anticipated the path will
increase pedestrian and bike traffic. “It
is our hope that people who park at the
shared use path will want to visit the
downtown and other stores and restaurants throughout the village,” he said.
Across the bridge in South Nyack, planners have proposed two options, both of
which have the shared use path and the
Esposito Trail meeting. One plan would
close the east/southbound Thruway
entrance near Cornelison Avenue and
South Broadway in South Nyack while
moving the parking lot closer to the path
and bridge. That plan would cost $14.5 million to complete, while the other option

would cost $10.8 million, according to state
officials. South Nyack village trustees and a
village task force have approved the more
costly plan.
The Thruway Authority agreed last year
to move the path’s terminus away from the
Cornelison Avenue Thruway entrance after
residents protested it would disrupt their
quiet neighborhood. South Nyack’s current
daily traffic amounts to about 12,500 cars
in a village of 3,500 residents.
South Nyack received a $250,000 grant
through the bridge project’s community
benefits program to study the feasibility
of redesigning and redeveloping Thruway
Interchange 10. Consultants from Willdan
Financial Services and Vanasse Hangen
Brustlin Inc. in February presented results
of their feasibility study for that land.
The public comment period for the
bridge parking options remains open until
5 p.m. April 1. Comments can be sent by
email to info@newnybridge.com. All comments will be reviewed and responded to
during the next few months.
After the deadline, the Federal Highway
Administration, the Thruway Authority and
the state Department of Transportation
will review comments in the state’s environmental assessment of the project and
those submitted during the public comment period. They are expected to choose
a preferred alternative this summer.

3/11/16 9:59 AM

GET BREAKING BUSINESS NEWS DAILY
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hardwired and wireless Internet and
free continental breakfast and weekday
newspaper
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: New York
Medical College, Westchester County
Center Theatre, The Galleria at White
Plains, State University of New York –
Purchase, Pace University, The Westchester,
Westchester Community College,
Westchester Medical Center, Historic
Hudson Valley, Westchester Skating
Academy and the Westchester Broadway
Theater
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2000

copy and fax service, multilingual staff,
wireless Internet with remote printing and
valet dry-cleaning service
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: the city
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close proximity to businesses, including
IBM, PepsiCo, JPMorgan, Heineken and
MasterCard
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2014

boardroom and available transportation
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: Orange
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Hall of Honor, United States Military
Academy at West Point, Orange County
Fair Speedway, Woodbury Commons
Premium Outlets, Hudson River and Bear
Mountain State Park
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1998

DOLCE NORWALK:
Its conference center is one of a kind in Fairﬁeld County

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types of functions complete with breathtaking views. From a health and fitness
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and only 45 minutes from New York City,
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complimentary wireless Internet access
to a cozy bathrobe. The rich woods and
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Dolce Hotels and Resorts strives to

people together and promote thoughtful
exchange and enjoyment.
With savory food options and an
ingenious onsite culinary team, Dolce
Norwalk has been influenced by a contemporary lifestyle and is designed to
nurture the spirit of body and mind.

We offer spacious meeting rooms, with a wide
range of sizes and layouts to suit your needs,
along with a full spectrum of audiovisual and
telecommunications equipment.
adhere to a code of sustainability. In fact
sustainability for us is an ongoing process
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work to build awareness and new initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint and
energy consumption. One of the ways
we do this is by planting a tree on hotel

Make yourself at home in one of our
120 spacious guest rooms with either
king-sized beds or two double beds,
comfortable workspace and views of the
rolling Norwalk countryside. Your guest
room is a haven of relaxation and productivity, offering every amenity from

grounds or making a donation to a local
tree-planting organization in honor of
each member of our staff.
We offer spacious meeting rooms,
with a wide range of sizes and layouts to
suit your needs, along with a full spectrum of audiovisual and telecommunications equipment. Whether hosting a
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allows a feeling of privacy and serenity,
which enables your meetings to run
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All Dolce Norwalk associates work
together to ensure that your stay is productive, entertaining and memorable. We
look forward to your arrival and please
let us know if there is anything we can
do for you.

accommodating up to 700 people, onsite
meeting planners, audiovisual equipment
and support staff, culinary team, onsite
business center and wireless Internet
access in all meeting space
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: Stamford
Town Center, Palace Theatre, Rich Forum
Cove Island Park, Stamford Center for the
Arts and close proximity to major area
airports
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2008, renovated

59,000 square feet of flexible meeting
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• 193 Newly Renovated Guestrooms Decorated in The Legendary Style of Ethan Allen
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rooms, banquet facilities, special meals
available, transportation, coffee breaks,
working lunches, wireless Internet,
flipcharts, LCD projectors, screen, podium,
microphone and valet parking
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: Shawangunk
Mountains, the town of Gardiner, the
Hudson Valley, the Culinary Institute of
America, 75 miles from New York City
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2000

NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: PepsiCo
Sculpture Gardens, Doral Arrowwood
Hotel and Conference Centers, the city of
White Plain, 30 minute-travel to New York
City on the Metro-North Railroad and close
proximity to major area airports
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1974

OMNI NEW HAVEN HOTEL AT
YALE
155 Temple St., New Haven, Conn. 06510

PHONE: 203-772-6664
WEBSITE: omnihotels.com
ELECTRONIC RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED: yes
ROOMS/SUITES: 306
RATES: $169 and up
GROUP RATES: yes
RESTAURANTS: three; John Daveport’s At
the Top of the Park, Morsel’s and Bar 19

NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: Walkway
over the Hudson River, Vanderbilt Mansion,
FDR Museum and Library, the Culinary
Institute of America, Vassar College and
Marist College
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1960, renovated in
2009

theatrical lighting and sound

NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: PepsiCo
Sculpture Garden, Metro-North Railroad,
the city of White Plains and close proximity
to major area airports
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1978

1 Radisson Plaza, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801

feet of event space, airport shuttle service
to La Guardia Airport and John F. Kennedy
International Airport, business center,
hardwired Internet access in all rooms,
multilingual staff and valet service
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: Rye Playland
Amusement Park, New Roc City, the Bronx
Zoo, the New York Botanical Gardens and
close proximity to major area airports
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1976

facilities, indoor and outdoor seating,
transportation and wireless Internet
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: Philip
Johnson Glass House, Amtrak, the city of
Stamford and the town of Greenwich
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1740

feet of meeting and event space, ballroom,
five breakout rooms, executive boardroom,
pre-function area, multilingual staff and
full-service business center
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: Metro-North
Railroad, The Westchester, The Galleria at
White Plains, the city of White Plains and
close proximity to major area airports
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2007

165 Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers, N.Y. 10701

tea setup, food and beverages available,
projection equipment, video conferencing,
teleconferencing, TV/VCR/DVD available,
wireless Internet, podium, flipchart,
computer rentals, microphone, whiteboard,
complimentary continental breakfast,
24-hour business center, same-day
dry-cleaning and valet service and all
spaces are located on the ground floor
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: the Hudson
River Museum, Yonkers Raceway, The
Science Barge and close proximity to major
area airports
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1994

Castle Hotel & Spa features 3,300 square feet of efficient, comfortable,
and flexible meeting space in distinctive settings. From the neoclassical
style of the Library and the spectacular 1,500-square-foot Great Hall
with its fine architectural detail and intricate vaulted ceilings to the
elegant Caramai Ballroom with its crystal chandeliers and abundant
natural light, Castle Hotel & Spa excels at planning and executing
corporate retreats and executive conferences. State-of-the-art meeting
technology assists in accommodating your needs for a successful and
productive meeting of almost any size.
400 Benedict Ave, Tarrytown, NY 10591
(914) 631-1980 | castlehotelandspa.com

PHONE: 203-899-0606, ext. 228
WEBSITE: steppingstonesmuseum.org
ELECTRONIC RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED: no
RESTAURANT: one
MEETING ROOMS: four
SEATING CAPACITY: NA
MEETING ROOM SERVICE: 13,000 square
feet of event space, indoor and outdoor
options, with audiovisual/multimedia
support included in meeting packages,
variable room and setup options, business
accommodations for up to 125 guests
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: the town of
Norwalk, Lockwood-Mathews Mansion
Museum, the Maritime Aquarium, Sheffield
Island Light House and South Norwalk
Historic District (SoNo)
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2000

space, 24-hour technology resource center,
conference concierge, conference planner,
business center, on-staff audiovisual
professionals, wireless Internet access,
ergonomic chairs, hardtop worktables,
natural lighting and staging
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: 25-minutes
via the New York City on the Metro-North
Railroad, the Hudson Valley, Neuburger
Museum of Art, Grand Prix New York,
Cortlandt Heritage Museum, Stone Barns
Center for Food and Agriculture, the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point and close
proximity to major area airports
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1964

rooms, exhibition space onsite, banquet
facilities and audiovisual
NEARBY PLACES OF INTEREST: Kykuit
(Rockefeller Estate), Philipsburg Manor, U.S.
Military Academy at West Point, New York
City and Yankee Stadium
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 1981

Host an Event to Remember
We know about inspiration. We know how to dazzle the senses. And with just
a little bit of Stepping Stones magic, we’ll take your vision and make it a reality.
• Mingle among festive galleries and hands-on exhibits
• Open air tent for seated dinners, dancing or entertainment
• Multimedia Gallery with 35 x 12 foot projection screen
for a wide range of events, banquets and performances
• Performance stage and seating for smaller gatherings
• Outdoor garden for cocktail receptions
For a personal tour and consultation,
call 203 899 0606, ext. 227
or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/rentals
Mathews Park, 303 West Avenue • Norwalk, Connecticut • Exit 14N or 15S off I-95 • steppingstonesmuseum.org

S
HOTELS & CONFERENCE CENTERS

15

AN ADVERTORIAL RESOURCE GUIDE | MARCH 21, 2016

SPECIAL
REPORT LAW
BY PETER S. SLOANE

Trademarks: A closer look at common misconceptions

T

rademark law protects consumers
against confusion between company
names, brands and other indications
of origin.
For example, it would arguably violate
trademark law and infringe the rights of
Walmart, if a retailer opened a store named
“Wal-Mate” because consumers would be
confused into thinking that the two were
associated. That kind of comparison seems
simple enough to make, but it leads individuals and businesspeople to mistakenly believe
that the effective protection of trademarks is
likewise simple.
Online trademark services and other
“trademark mills” encourage this kind of
misconception by offering rock-bottom prices for trademark filings, asking few questions
of applicants and failing to provide sophisticated legal advice. As with most things in life,
though, there are some ways of doing things
that are better than others.

TRADEMARK ADOPTION
The nuances of trademark law come into
play at the inception of adopting a new company name or brand. The most common misconception is that the best branding strategy is to adopt a mark that tells consumers
exactly what they are buying. For example,
Instant On would make a great name for a
hot water heater or an igniter for a barbecue
grill. However, this approach runs smack
into a wall when applying for registration.
The trademark laws do not allow one to
register a new name that merely describes a
feature or function of the product.
This misapprehension is exacerbated
when clients look to other names as examples. The descriptive name Food Network
is registered only because it has developed
a reputation, an exception to the rule preventing registration of descriptive terms. It
ordinarily takes millions of dollars in advertising and sales and years of use, before a
descriptive term is entitled to registration.
As a result, if an applicant wants to protect
its name against use by others, unless it is
prepared to put the time and money into

achieving notoriety, it should refrain from
adopting a descriptive name.

TRADEMARK SEARCHING
Many business owners are unaware that
it is possible to search the availability of a
new name or mark, or even the fact that
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will
run its own search when examining a new
application. Even if they are aware of the
latter, it would be unwise to rely entirely on
the findings of the Trademark Office. The
office examines whether there is a likelihood of confusion only with earlier active
applications and registrations. Just because
it approves an application does not eliminate
any trademark risk. Third parties with prior
unregistered rights, developed through use,
can still petition to cancel a registration
within the first five years after it issues. This
makes the searching done by the Trademark
Office of limited value when evaluating marketplace risk.
The limitations of Trademark Office
searching are why trademark attorneys
often suggest ordering and reviewing a
full trademark search provided by an outside search company. In addition to more
comprehensively searching the Trademark
Office records, these searches cover state
registrations, company names found in business directories, domain names and unregistered names and marks found in publications and on the Internet. Just like a doctor
would have a hard time diagnosing a medical condition without examining the results
of an MRI, a trademark lawyer is not really
able to provide an opinion on the availability of a mark for use or registration without
reviewing a full trademark search report.

TRADEMARK FILING
Beyond trademark naming and searching, the misperceptions about trademark
rights continue through application filing.
Trademark rights exist only in relation
to specific goods and services. Identifying
the most appropriate goods and services to
cover is part of the art of trademark practice.

Trademark applicants often think it is necessary to identify every possible item they may
sell or service they may provide in order
to adequately protect the mark, but there
are all kinds of downsides to overbroad
coverage. It may result in a more expensive
application, increase the risk of conflict with
third-party marks and make the application
vulnerable to attack by others on the ground
of fraud. In most cases, a narrowly tailored
application should still protect the mark for
closely related goods.
In the rush to get an application on file,
many trademark owners fail to appreciate
that a carefully crafted application will also
mitigate the risk of refusal by the Trademark
Office. There are all kinds of statements that
an applicant can make when filing to avoid
inquiry or objection by the examining attorney. These include disclaiming any descriptive portion of a mark, indicating whether

the mark has any meaning or significance
in connection with the goods or services,
translating any foreign wording in the mark
and describing the features of any design
elements. Failing to be proactive when filing and dealing with such office actions later
raises the ultimate expense of an application and delays issuance of the registration.
The foregoing offers a glimpse into
just some of the myriad misconceptions
involved in trademark adoption, clearance and filing. These misunderstandings
can easily be cleared up by consulting in
advance with experienced trademark counsel, who can provide a cost-effective strategy
for minimizing risk while maximizing the
scope of trademark protection.
Peter S. Sloane is a partner at Leason
Ellis LLP, an intellectual property law firm in
White Plains. He can be reached at sloane@
leasonellis.com or 914-821-9073.
WCBJ | HV Biz

MARCH 21, 2016

17

BY DANIEL M. BRAUDE

Creating a records management
policy and enforcing it

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A

t its most basic level, information
governance (IG) is the management
of data across the information lifecycle. Although traditionally thought to
focus squarely on records management, IG
includes data security, privacy, knowledge
management and e-discovery, along with
related compliance and risk management
issues. However, a significant factor in IG
risk does relate directly to records management, specifically the failure to appropriately manage records while allowing a “keep
everything” culture to exist. Promoting
data minimization and disposition requires
much more than merely adopting a records
management policy and retention schedule. Employees must be provided the means
to comply to avoid a “rules without tools”
environment. To achieve policy compliance,
organizations must address the four key
aspects of records management: people, process, technology and controls.

ures, regulatory fines deriving from compliance breaches, negative impact on business
needs, loss of sensitive business information,
and, in the event of a data breach, business
continuity concerns and violation of privacy
laws with related reputational damage. By
some measures, and as found in a recent
study by the Ponemon Institute, the cost
per lost or stolen record containing sensitive and confidential information exceeds
$150. While there is no question that organizations should take steps to enhance their
information security practices, the surefire
method of avoiding unauthorized access to
data and minimizing many of the abovementioned risks, is to avoid storing data in
the first place.

RECORDS MANAGEMENT
AND RETENTION POLICIES

In the absence of a records management policy, or rather an enforced records
management policy, a “keep everything”
practice will naturally evolve. In the absence
of a litigation or investigation-related duty
to preserve, organizations should consider
their business needs and regulatory require-

Results.
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ments when crafting retention schedules.
Although this appears simple on the surface, many organizations implement unnecessarily lengthy and detailed retention
schedules with hundreds of record classes
falling under numerous retention periods.
Compliance for employees can be difficult
even when schedules are pared down, but
without appropriate tools to facilitate compliance, there’s virtually no chance the policy will be followed. When compliance is
onerous and burdensome, employees will
violate the policy and often resort to a “keep
everything” approach, thereby defeating the
policy’s entire purpose. To achieve employee compliance, a path of least resistance
must be provided.

ACHIEVING RECORDS
MANAGEMENT COMPLIANCE

There are four key components to
achieving compliance with records management policies: people, process, technology
and controls.
Program governance: People
Records management begins with program governance. Depending on an organization’s size and structure, the following
components may be implemented:
• Records Management Steering
Committee. This committee consists of
key stakeholders including from the legal,
compliance and information technology (IT)
departments. The steering committee has
authority over retention schedules and is
responsible for high-level program management and oversight.
• Records Management Team. A
records management team comprises program administrators, including a records
coordinator. This group administers the program, coordinates policy implementation
and oversees records management training
sessions.
• Departmental Records Coordinators.
These individuals coordinate records
inventorying and destruction within their
respective departments, conduct training of
department employees and serve as liaisons
to the records management team.
• Executive Sponsor. An executive sponsor provides direct support to the steering
committee and serves as a “champion” for
the program. Without an effective executive
sponsor, a records management program
will fail to gain organizational acceptance.
Policies and procedures: Process
A set of records management policies
and procedures addresses responsibilities of
employees, processes for managing records,
destruction procedures, legal obligations,
employee training and compliance monitoring. The policy also incorporates a retention
schedule. Organizations must tailor their
procedures to fit their business processes,
needs and structure.

Technical solutions: Technology
Compliance in records management
requires providing employees with tools that
promote desired records management practices, i.e., data minimization. This may include
a content management system that permits
assignment of record classes to automate data
disposition upon expiration of assigned retention periods. Compliance will not be achieved
in a “rules without tools” environment.
Program management: Controls
Program management, specifically
employee training and compliance monitoring, must be tailored to fit the organization.
This may include development of a training
program with quarterly sessions, annual
departmental assessments, an online repository of training materials and distribution of
periodic reminders. Training as to “official”
versus “unofficial” records may decrease
retention of “unofficial” documents.

POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS
When developing a records management program or assessing an existing one,
organizations should ask a host of questions,
such as:
• What level of support is needed from
an executive sponsor?
• Is the steering committee vested with
sufficient authority?
• Will existing IT systems and repositories promote desired retention practices?
• Are the records management team and
the IT department positioned to cooperate
and collaborate in purchasing and configuring tools?
• Is additional records management
training needed?
• Are employees motivated to comply
with the policy?
• How are records maintained by third
parties handled?

• Is an overly complicated retention
schedule impacting the feasibility of compliance?
• Is an appropriate legal-hold procedure
in place?

FINAL THOUGHTS

The primary focus in achieving compliance with records management policies and
document retention schedules is creating
path of least resistance. Adopting a policy and
retention schedule is merely the first step.
Organizations must focus on implementing
an appropriate program structure and avoiding a “rules without tools” environment.
Daniel M. Braude is a partner in Wilson
Elser’s New York Metro offices and is co-chair
of the firm’s national e-Discovery practice. In
addition, he serves as an adjunct professor
at Pace University School of Law. He can be
reached at daniel.braude@wilsonelser.com

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MARCH 21, 2016

19

Legal services —
From page 1

ing to a report from the New York State
Community Action Association.
There’s a “strong intersection between
poverty and domestic violence,” Sirotkin said.
While domestic violence can happen to women
of all income levels, women with household
incomes less than $7,500 are seven times
more likely to experience domestic violence
compared to women with household incomes
more than $75,000, according to a report from
the American Civil Liberties Union.
All of this means the center is consistently taking on domestic violence cases. Some of
the cases have male victims, but Sirotkin said
most victims they see are women.
However, the group didn’t always have a
special team of attorneys to handle domestic violence cases. When Legal Services of
the Hudson Valley CEO Barbara Finkelstein
took over the center’s top post in 1995, Legal
Services of the Hudson Valley was a 28-year-

old organization that went by the name
Westchester Legal Services. It had just the
one office in White Plains and a staff of 18.
In 20 years, Finkelstein has grown the
center from that one office and a $2 million
annual budget to a $15 million total operating budget that keeps the lights on in eight
offices across seven counties: Westchester,
Rockland, Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Putnam
and Sullivan. The center now employs a
total of 130 people, including 83 attorneys
and 19 paralegals. About 300 attorneys work
for Legal Services of the Hudson Valley pro
bono each year. The organization is the only
provider of comprehensive free civil legal
services in the seven-county region.
Finkelstein started the domestic violence unit in 1996. The program had just one
attorney at the time on a fellowship funded
by the state’s Interest on Lawyer Accounts
fund. Since its founding, the unit has provided legal services to more than 15,000
survivors of domestic violence.
Those services include seeking orders of

protection against abusers, fighting for child
custody, filing for divorce and immigration
assistance.
“I think we have carved out a niche in
that we are very well known for that and well
known for the civil legal services work that
we do,” Finkelstein said.
Work for the attorneys at Legal Services
can be high-stress. In domestic violence
cases especially, the stakes are high and
the clock is ticking. Attorneys need to move
quickly to establish trust and seek legal relief
for the situation. Clients often arrive at Legal
Services of the Hudson Valley offices when
they have first separated from an abusive
relationship. It’s in that period that a victim
can be in the most danger.
“People often ask, ‘Why didn’t she leave
sooner?’ Or, ‘Why didn’t she say something?’”
said Sirotkin. “It’s because the leaving period
is the most vulnerable — the most likely time
a victim could be assaulted or killed. Many of
them know that.”
For the attorneys, caseloads are also high

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MARCH 21, 2016

WCBJ | HV Biz

and cases are often brought to litigation. That
provides the center a strategic advantage for
clients, according to Legal Services leaders.
Attorneys with the organization are willing
to go to court rather than settle, when others
might not, they said. But it also requires a lot
of work and resources.
In the face of that stress, Sirotkin said it’s
often the spiritual satisfaction of the work
that powers the organization’s attorneys.
“We get to help people who otherwise would
have no way to afford an attorney and who
otherwise would possibly face terrible outcomes,” she said.
Because of its range of services, the nonprofit can also provide domestic violence
victims with what attorney Jill BradshawSoto refers to as “the other piece.” BradshawSoto, attorney-in-charge for Legal Services
of the Hudson Valley’s Mount Vernon office,
said domestic violence victims often are facing other legal issues that can be handled
within the organization’s operation.
“If a domestic violence victim is being
evicted, we handle that,” she said. “When
food stamps are out of whack or public assistance is not correct because they want her to
go for child support when she doesn’t have
to, we handle that as well.”
The caseload for the organization
jumped 25 percent from 2014 to 2015. Last
year its lawyers handled 14,000 cases that
had an impact on an estimated 32,000 people in the Hudson Valley, according to Tom
Gabriel, chief development officer for Legal
Services of the Hudson Valley.
The organization, which is funded
through a mix of federal, state and county
aid, is increasing the services it provides into
new areas of law as well, Finkelstein said.
Lawyers there have seen an increasing
need for immigration work. The organization also launched a new unit dedicated
to veterans and military families and the
LGBTQ Legal Project, focused on fighting
discrimination against people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual or queer.
There are about 200,000 people in
Westchester who would qualify for Legal
Services of the Hudson Valley’s services
based on income, according to Finkelstein.
She estimated the organization meets about
30 percent of the overall need in the region.
“If we had twice the staff, maybe we could hit
60 percent,” she added.
Still, she said, Legal Services of the Hudson
Valley will continue outreach initiatives such
as dinners, exhibit tables at festivals, presentations and partnerships with area advocacy
and charitable groups. Those initiatives can
serve a dual purpose: help with fundraising
efforts and ensure the organization’s name is
known to people who need help.
“Funding for civil legal services has been
neglected for so long that we have quite a
ways to catch up,” Finkelstein said. “And as
we grow and get out in the community, more
and more people know about us.”

Items appearing in the Westchester
County Business Journal’s On The Record section are compiled from various
sources, including public records made
available to the media by federal, state
and municipal agencies and the court
system. While every effort is made to
ensure the accuracy of this information, no liability is assumed for errors or
omissions. In the case of legal action, the
records cited are open to public scrutiny
and should be inspected before any action is taken.
Questions and comments regarding this
section should be directed to:
Bob Rozycki
c/o Westfair Communications Inc.
3 Westchester Park Drive, Suite G7
White Plains, N.Y. 10604-3407
Phone: 694-3600 • Fax: 694-3680

HISTORIAN TO LECTURE AT SARAH LAWRENCE
STATEWIDE ABSTRACT
OFFERS SEMINARS
Statewide Abstract, which has provided title insurance to the commercial and residential real estate industries for more than 35 years, will host two seminars for continuing education credits on April 7. Both
will be held at Westchester Hills Golf Club, 401 Ridgeway in White Plains, and will close with a networking
cocktail hour for all attendees.
The first seminar will be for attorneys on the topic of ethics and will feature attorney Paul Bugoni, as
the speaker. The seminar will run from 3 to 5 p.m. and provide two continuing legal education (CLE) credits
to those who attend the entire two-hour session.
The second seminar will be held for real estate professionals on the topic of tax matters and real estate.
Speaker, attorney Steve R. Ebert will discuss the tax advantages and traps that can impact closing costs,
acquisitions and sales strategies. The session will run from 2 to 5 p.m. and will provide 3.75 CLE credits to
those who attend the entire session.
Both sessions are free but seating is limited; advance registration is required. Email Mari Anastos at
manastos@statewidea.com or call 914-683-5900.

The Bronxville Historical Conservancy will feature Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and best-selling author Stacy
Schiff at the 2016 Annual Brendan Gill Lecture on April 15, 8 p.m. in Reisinger Auditorium at Sarah Lawrence College.
Schiff will discuss “The Salem Witch Trials: What Really Happened and Why It Matters in 21st century America.” This
free program includes a reception with the author immediately following the presentation.
Schiff is the author of “Véra” (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov), winner of the Pulitzer Prize; and other award-winning books.
She was awarded a 2006 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 2011 she
was named a Library Lion of the New York Public Library.
Now in its 18th year, the lecture was established as a gift to the Bronxville community in honor of former resident
Brendan Gill, who was called by architecture critic Paul Goldberger “the greatest public citizen of our time in the realm
of architecture, planning and historic preservation.”
Seating is limited; register at events@b-h-c.org or call 914-961-6790.

BCW RECEIVES DIGITAL AWARD
The Business Council of Westchester (BCW) was recently honored with a gold award in the 2015 AVA Digital Awards
for its Westchester Expo website that was designed by MSM DesignZ Inc.
The gold honor falls under the Business to Business Websites category. MSM DesignZ was chosen to establish the
online branding for the council’s expo event. “We were not only excited to receive this award, but also thrilled to present
it to Dr. Marsha Gordon and the entire Business Council of Westchester team. It was an honor to be chosen as the design
agency for this project and to implement the online presence for such an important event,” said MSM DesignZ CEO Mario
Mirabella. The AVA Digital Awards is an international competition that recognizes outstanding work by creative professionals involved in the concept, direction, design and production of digital communication. More than 2,500 entries were
submitted from all around the world in fields, including audio, video and film production, web developers, advertising
agencies, PR firms, corporate and government communication departments and independent creative professionals.

Ferguson’s Distribution Center in Coxsackie is the recipient of a $200,000 economic development grant from Central
Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. under the utility’s Shovel Ready Sites program. Ferguson is the largest distributor of commercial and residential plumbing supplies in the United States.
“Central Hudson recognizes the importance of new private sector investment and job creation in the Hudson Valley”
said James P. Laurito, Central Hudson president and CEO. “That is why we are so pleased to partner with Ferguson as
they open their 11th regional distribution center and we welcome them to Greene County.”
“We are grateful for the support we’ve received from the Coxsackie community and Central Hudson,” said Bob Feller,
Ferguson’s manager of construction. “Central Hudson’s Shovel Ready grant is another example of the strong investment
the utility and region is making in growth and we are excited to be a part of it.”
The 460,000-square-foot facility distributes plumbing, lighting, appliances, heating, ventilation, air conditioning,
waterworks, flame retardants, fire suppression and related building materials, equipment and supplies. Coxsackie was
chosen over sites in Connecticut and Rhode Island due to its central location to markets and an attractive businesses
environment.

FINANCIAL ADVISERS
OPEN NEW PALTZ OFFICE
Two financial advisers with a combined 40 years of financial advisory experience recently opened SRI Investing LLC
in New Paltz to serve a growing list of clients in upstate New York and the New England region. SRI Investing, which
stands for Sustainable, Responsible and Impact Investing – is believed to be the first investment firm solely devoted to
socially responsible investments to open in the Mid-Hudson Valley. It is a collaboration of Gary R. Matthews and Amy
D. Pender. Matthews, began his career in finance as a CPA and tax consultant in 1979 and earned a Ph.D. in social ethics
in an effort to find a “better way of doing business.” He then dedicated his professional practice solely to SRI, beginning
in 2000. Pender began her career as an educator. She put her teaching skills to use aiding nonprofit organizations with
fundraising and mission-driven work that sought to make the world a better place. In 2010, she joined Merrill Lynch and
acquired both Series 7 and 66 securities licenses before joining First Affirmative as an investment adviser representative
in 2013 and then co-founding SRI Investing.

BRONZI A
40 UNDER 40 HONOREE

FRIEND OF KAREN
ADDS TO BOARD

Philip Bronzi, vice president, commercial lending, at
Tompkins Mahopac Bank has been honored as a Forty
Under 40 winner by the Dutchess County Regional
Chamber of Commerce.
Bronzi will be honored with a Shaker Award, presented annually to 40 people under the age of 40 who
have shown a strong commitment to the Hudson Valley.
The Shaker Awards will be presented on April 28 at the
Changepoint Theatre in Poughkeepsie.
“Phil has done a phenomenal job as a member of our
commercial lending team,” said John Kraus, senior vice
president, commercial lending. “His commitment to the
Dutchess County communities we serve is unmatched
and we could not be happier that his achievements have
been recognized.”
Bronzi has been with Tompkins Mahopac Bank since
fall 2014 and has more than 14 years of experience in the

Jacqueline Holtzer has been elected to the board of
directors of Friends of Karen, a charity serving families in the New York tristate region. A former human
resources executive in the banking industry, Holtzer
was introduced to Friends of Karen in 2004. A visit to
the organization’s North Salem headquarters was, she
recalls, “an absolute eye-opener.” She began volunteering immediately on several committees to help further
its mission.
Friends of Karen provides comprehensive support,
at no cost, to families caring for a child battling cancer
or another life-threatening illness. Personal advocacy
from a team of experienced professionals – social workers, child-life specialists and creative arts therapists –
ensure that each family receives the emotional, financial and practical support needed to stay resilient and
able to cope throughout a child’s treatment.

Philip Bronzi

industry. As an active member of the community, Bronzi
is a board member for Sparrow’s Nest, a finance committee member for the Anderson Center for Autism, a
member of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of
Commerce and a co-chairman for the Hudson Valley
Young Professionals. He and his wife, Jennifer, reside in
Hopewell Junction with their five children.

DISCOVERY ZONE SIGNS UNVEILED

ERA INSITE REALTY ADDS
TO WHITE PLAINS TEAM
Nikolas Stanovic and Angela Thompson have recently
joined the ERA Insite Realty headquarters office in
White Plains.
Stanovic has a background in financial services and
property management. He holds his Series 7 and 63 broker licenses and is a certified property manager, serving
as chief executive of his family-owned property management firm, Stanovic Property Management in White
Plains. Over the past year he worked primarily with
rental clients at Home Sweet Home in Mamaroneck and
upon recently acquiring his real estate broker’s license,
he joined ERA Insite as an associate broker and will also
expand into listings and sales.
Thompson comes to ERA Insite with her real estate
salesperson’s license and recent experience supporting
a broker who primarily services distressed property listings. Prior to that, she spent more than 40 years in the
hotel, travel and media industries, working for companies
from small trade organizations to Fortune 100s. Born in
Kingston, Jamaica, and primarily educated in the U.K.,
Thompson has resided in the U.S. for more than 35 years
after having lived, worked and travelled globally most
of her life and career, she has the knowledge and skills
to assist clients moving into or out of Westchester to or
from anywhere in the world.

“When you hear that somebody has a child with cancer, you know it’s devastating, but you don’t really understand all the details of what goes on for that family,”
Holtzer said. “What Friends of Karen does is to guide
each member of the family all the way through a harrowing crisis. That’s life-changing.”

The partners involved in the Greater Walkway Experience project – Scenic Hudson, Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce and Walkway Over the Hudson – unveiled signs in Lloyd and Poughkeepsie, two of the many new
Discovery Zone signs now dotting Highland and Poughkeepsie during a recent press conference.
Leaders from the three organizations were joined by city of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison, town of Lloyd Supervisor Paul Hansut, sign sponsors, and many stakeholders in launching the latest phase of the branding and marketing
program.
Part of a broader initiative known as Walkway as Gateway to Success, the program aims to leverage the economic
power of the walkway so that it more effectively benefits the municipalities that connect the elevated park on its east
and west sides.
The Discovery Zone signs, which supplement the larger, already installed Gateway Signs, provide historic and wayfinding information for visitors to the Greater Walkway Experience and specifically direct them to the nine Discovery
Zones located in the town of Lloyd and the city of Poughkeepsie.
Nikolas Stanovic

ENTA PROMOTES ONE OF ITS OWN
Drew Franklin has been promoted to senior director of business development at ENT and Allergy Associates (ENTA).
Franklin, who has been with the practice since 2006 and director of business development and revenue strategies
since 2011, is responsible for operational oversight of several different departments and works closely with the CEO
and CFO on a multitude of critical practice functions, including revenue cycle optimization, due diligence and financial
analysis for mergers and recruitment.
Franklin and his team of analysts promote physician and practice growth by providing benchmark metrics and encouraging goal-driven results. His contributions within the organization were among those that were instrumental in allowing
ENTA to win the first HFMA MAP award for High Performance in Revenue Cycle issued to a physician group in 2015.
Franklin is an adjunct professor at Pace University, Graduate Program for Public Administration, where he teaches
health policy studies and mentors graduate MPA candidates on networking and professional development.

Angela Thompson

ARTUSO’S PASTRY MARKS 50TH YEAR
Anna Artuso’s Pastry Shop in Yonkers kicked off its 50th anniversary on March 10 with a yearlong celebration and a renaming of the street on which it is located to Anna Artuso and John Puma Way. Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, City Council
President Liam McLaughlin and members of the McLean Avenue Merchant’s Association plus the Yonkers Chamber of
Commerce were present for the renaming ceremony.
The pastry shop, which is at the corner of McLean and Martha avenues, announced an annual calendar of events, including an attempt to set a record in the Guinness Book of World Records, a 50th Anniversary Cake Contest and children’s
events.
Since Anna Artuso, an Italian immigrant, opened the doors of the pastry shop on March 10, 1966, the family, including grandson RJ Puma, has been serving cookies, cannoli, custom cakes and breads to customers throughout Yonkers.
Known in the neighborhood as “The Cookie Lady,” Artuso began the tradition of sending cookies overseas to soldiers
serving in Vietnam as well as local heroes at area fire stations. This tradition is continued today by her grandson.

YONKERS FD RAISES FUNDS FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
Select members of the Yonkers Fire Department, along with Road Kings of New York, will host the eighth annual
Hogs4Hope: Falls to River Run to benefit The Ronald McDonald House, a temporary home away from home in New York
City for pediatric cancer patients and their families, April 24, at 9 a.m. A nonprofit charity event, riders and passengers will
gather at Croton Gorge Park, Croton-on-Hudson, to register, with kickstands rising at 11 a.m.
Escorted by the Yonkers Police Department and joined by officers from surrounding areas, participants will ride for
25 miles to JFK Marina & Park in Yonkers, their final destination, where a family-friendly festival, open to all surrounding
communities, will take place.
The cost for riders is $25, for passengers, $20. Participants can register or donate to this event at http://www.rmhnewyork.org/events/hogs-for-hope.
Admission to the JFK Marina is $25 and can be paid upon entering. The rain date for this event is May 1.

Information for these features has been
submitted by the subjects or their delegates.

JUDGMENTS
All Phases of Real Estate Inc., Middletown. $1,946 in favor of the New
York State Department of Taxation and
Finance, Albany. Filed Dec. 8.
All Valley Enterprises Inc., d.b.a.
Milton Sales and Auto Service,
Milton. $1,007 in favor of the New York
State Department of Taxation and Finance, Albany. Filed March 7.
Awardcare Pharmacy Inc., Highland Mills. $232 in favor of the New
York State Department of Taxation and
Finance, Albany. Filed Dec. 8.
Barnes Enterprises Inc., Kingston.
$685 in favor of the New York State Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Division, Albany. Filed March 7.

Commercial Equipment Exporters Inc., Montgomery. $816 in favor of
the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Albany. Filed Dec. 8.
La Mexicana Grocery, Kingston. $170
in favor of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Albany.
Filed March 10.
Lucente Property Management
LLC, Saugerties. $6,123 in favor of the
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Albany. Filed March
10.
Mid-Hudson Chiropractic Center,
Kingston. $450 in favor of the New York
State Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Division, Albany. Filed
March 7.
Morans Rest Home Inc., Modena.
$6,249 in favor of the New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance,
Albany. Filed March 10.
Oxclove Workshop Ltd., Kingston.
$4,069 in favor of the New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance,
Albany. Filed March 7.
Pet Nutrition Plus LLC, Ellenville.
$4,394 in favor of the New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance,
Albany. Filed March 7.
The Park Center Inc., $882 in favor
of the New York State Department of
Taxation and Finance, Albany. Filed
March 10.
Triple J Motor Cars LLC, Ellenville.
$1,057 in favor of the New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance,
Albany. Filed March 7.

LIS PENDENS
The following ﬁlings indicated a legal
action has been initiated, the outcome
of which may aﬀect the title to the property listed.
Alonzo, Maria H., et al. Filed by
Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage
to secure $144,000 affecting property
located at 9 Riverdale Road, Middletown 10940. Filed July 29.
Anderson, Adam J., et al. Filed by
Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Action: seeks
to foreclose on a mortgage to secure
$169,558 affecting property located at
59 Watson Hollow Road, West Shokan
12494. Filed March 11.
Angelopoulos, Helen, et al. Filed
by The Bank of New York Mellon. Action: seeks to foreclose on a mortgage
to secure $458,185 affecting property
located at 255 Smithtown Road, Wappinger 12524. Filed March 9.

LEGAL NOTICES
Name of LLC: O.S. Home Improvement
LLC Articles of Organization were filed
with the Secretary of State of New York
(SSNY) on 02/01/2016. Office location:
Westchester County. SSNY has been
designated as agent of the LLC upon
whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail a copy of process to
629 Viewland
Dr. Yorktown Heights.
NY 10598 principal business location of
the LLC. Purpose: any lawful business
activity. #60424
Wright Fitness LLC Articles of
Organization were filed with the Secretary
of State of New York (SSNY) on
10/22/2015. Office location: Westchester
County. SSNY has been designated as
agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall mail
a copy of process to 113 Stone Oaks
Drive Hartsdale, NY 10530 principal business location of the LLC. Purpose: Health
and Fitness training facility. #60425
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF LIMITED
LIABILITY COMPANY (LLC). NAME:
Zucchero LLC, Articles of Organization
were filed with the SSNY on 01/29/16.
Office location: Westchester County.
SSNY has been designated as agent of
the Zucchero LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail a copy of process to: Zucchero
LLC, 74 Whippoorwill Road, Armonk,
New York 10504 (principal business location). Purpose: any lawful business activity. #60426
System 2 Consulting, LLC Articles of
Organization were filed with the Secretary
of State of New York (SSNY) on 01/14/06.
Office located in Westchester County.
SSNY has been designated as agent of
the LLC upon whom process against
it may be served. SSNY shall mail a
copy of process to 23 Stonewall Circle,
White Plains, New York 10607, primary
business location of the LLC. LLC may
engage in any lawful act or activity for
which a limited liability company may be
formed. #60427
Notice of Formation of Zplay, LLC Art. Of
Org. filed with SSNY on 12/9/15. Offc.
Loc: Westchester Cty. SSNY desig. as
agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail process to the LLC, 5 Brady Rd
Mt.Kisco, NY 10549. Purpose: any lawful
purpose. #60428
Notice of formation of Brathwaite Blaque,
LLC. Articles of Organization filed with
Secretary of State of New York (SSNY)
on 11/23/2015. NY office location:
Westchester County. SSNY designated
as agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail process to the LLC 138 Fields Lane,
Peekskill, NY 10566. Any lawful act or
activity. #60429
2449 Esplanade LLC, a domestic LLC,
filed with the SSNY on 2/8/16. Office
location: Westchester County. SSNY is
designated as agent upon whom process
against the LLC may be served. SSNY
shall mail process to John Silletta, 204
Park Dr., Eastchester, NY 10709. General
purpose. #60430
Notice of Formation of AW876URIAHS
Construction, LLC Art. Of Org. filed
with SSNY on 01/11/2016. Offc. Loc:
Westchester Cty. SSNY desig. as agent
of the LLC upon whom process against
it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 9 Warren Place, Mount
Vernon NY 10550. Purpose: any lawful
purpose. #60432
Notice of Formation of DANIEL H.
ROSEMAN, ESQ., PLLC. Art. Of Org. filed
with New York Secy of State (SSNY) on
1/27/2016. Office located in Westchester
County. SSNY designated as agent upon
whom process may be served. SSNY
shall mail a copy of any process against it
served upon him/her to 480 Halstead Ave.
Apt. 4k Harrison, NY 10528. Purpose: any
lawful activity. #60433
Notice of Formation of On Wholesale
Parts LLC Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY
on 2/10/16. Offc. Loc: Westchester Cty.
SSNY desig. as agent of the LLC upon
whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, On
Wholesale Parts LLC 701 Ridge Hill Blvd
Unit 4A, Yonkers, NY 10710. Purpose:
any lawful purpose. #60434
Rye Pediatric Specialties, PLLC, a
domestic PLLC, Arts. of Org. filed with
the SSNY on 1/26/16. Office location:
Westchester County. SSNY is designated
as agent upon whom process against
the PLLC may be served. SSNY shall
mail process to The PLLC, 150 Purchase
St., Ste. 8, Rye, NY 10580. Purpose:
Medicine. #60435
43 Sanford Street LLC, a domestic LLC,
filed with the SSNY on 2/11/16. Office
location: Westchester County. SSNY is
designated as agent upon whom process
against the LLC may be served. SSNY
shall mail process to The LLC, 339 Rye
Beach Ave., Rye, NY 10580. General
purpose. #60436

30

MARCH 21, 2016

BlueSea Consulting, LLC Articles of
Organization were filed with the NY
Secretary of State on 02/09/2016. Office
located in Westchester County. Secy. of
State has been designated as the agent
of the LLC upon which process against it
may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy
of process to the principal business location: 9 Hidden Pond Drive, Rye Brook,
NY 10573. Purpose: any lawful business
activity. #60437
Notice of Formation of UP - N - UP, LLC.
Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy of State of
NY (SSNY) on 1/26/16. Office location:
Westchester County. SSNY designated
as agent of LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail process to: c/o Daniel Hathaway,
2299 Maple Avenue, Cortlandt Manor,
NY 10567. Purpose: any lawful act or
activity. #60439
Notice of Formation of CRESCENT
SHORE LLC. Arts. of Org. filed with the
Secy of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/22/15.
Office location: Westchester County.
SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon
whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail process to: 9000 Bay
Ave., North Beach, MD 20714. Purpose:
any lawful act or activity. #60440
NOTICE OF FORMATION OF Brutus Park
Creations LLC. Articles of Organization
filed with the SSNY on 02/11/2016.
Office: Westchester County. SSNY has
been designated as agent upon whom
process against it may be served. The
Post Office address to which the SSNY
shall mail a copy of any process against
the LLC is: 10 Heather Lane, Elmsford,
NY 10523. Principal business address of
the LLC is: 10 Heather Lane, Elmsford,
NY 10523. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
#60441
Notice of Formation of 10 MSW 5E LLC.
Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of
NY (SSNY) on 2/12/16. Office location:
Westchester County. SSNY designated
as agent of LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail process to: c/o United Corporate
Services, Inc., 10 Bank St., Ste. 560,
White Plains, NY 10606. Purpose: any
lawful activity. #60443
NOTICE OF FORMATION of ITíS A
TUDOR, LLC. Articles of Organization
filed with the Secretary of State of New
York (SSNY) on 2-19-16. Location:
WESTCHESTER COUNTY. SSNY designated as agent for service of process
on LLC. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to: LORIANNE OíDONNELL 20
HARWOOD AVENUE WHITE PLAINS,
NY 10603. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.
#60444
Notice of Formation of WHITE PLAINS
CARPETS, FLOORS & BLINDS, LLC.
Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy of State
of NY (SSNY) on 1/26/16. Office location:
Westchester County. SSNY designated
as agent of LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall mail
process to: 173A East Post Road, White
Plains, NY 10601. Purpose: any lawful
act or activity. #60445
Notice of Formation Dineen-Carey
Holdings LLC Arts. of Org. filed with
SSNY 2/4/16. Off. Loc.: Westchester
Cnty. SSNY designated as agent of LLC
whom process may be served. SSNY
shall mail process to: c/o the LLC, 2090
Crompond Rd, Yorktown Heights, NY
10598. Purpose: all lawful activities.
#60447
Notice of Formation of DAGONIT II LLC.
Arts. of Org. filed with the Secy of State
of NY (SSNY) on 2/9/16. Office location:
Westchester County. SSNY designated
as agent of LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail process to: 20 Byram Lake Road, Mt.
Kisco, NY 10549. Purpose: any lawful
act or activity. #60448
Notice of Formation of JEFF GRASSO
CUSTOM BUILDER LLC. Arts. of
Org. filed with the Secy of State of NY
(SSNY) on 11/10/15. Office location:
Westchester County. SSNY designated
as agent of LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall mail
process to: 43 Beechwood Avenue, New
Rochelle, NY 10801. Purpose: any lawful
act or activity. #60449
Notice of Formation of a Professional
Service Limited Liability Company (PLLC).
Name: LW Chervokas Law PLLC. Art. of
Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY)
on 2/1/16. Office location: Westchester
County. SSNY designated as agent of the
PLLC upon whom process against it may
be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any
process to National Registered Agents,
Inc., 111 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY
10011. Purpose: To practice law and
engage in other activities permitted under
applicable law. #60450
Brendon Hills, LLC. Art. of Org. were filed
with the SSNY on 2/22/2016. Office loc:
Westchester Cty. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon which
process against it may be served. SSNY
shall mail process to the LLC, 99 Brendon
Hill Rd Scarsdale NY 10583. Purpose:
any lawful purpose. #60451

CLEVER CHOICE ELECTRIC LLC Art. Of
Org.filed with SSNY on 2/24/2016. Offic.
Loc: Westchester Cty. SSNY design as
agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served.SSNY shall mail
process to the LLC, 255 Huguenot St
New Rochelle, NY 10801. Purpose: any
lawful purpose. #60472
Notice is hereby given that an onpremise license, #TBA has been applied
for by Mediterraneo (WP) LLC d/b/a
Mediterraneo to sell beer, wine and liquor
at retail in an on premises establishment.
For on premises consumption under the
ABC law at 189 Main Street White Plains,
NY 10601. #60473
Notice is hereby given that a restaurant
wine license, #TBA has been applied
for by LBBBB Ltd d/b/a Little Big Bites
Burger Bistro to sell beer and wine at retail
in an on premises establishment. For on
premises consumption under the ABC
law at 652 Columbus Avenue Thorwood,
NY 10594. #60474
GWD Innovative Solutions LLC, a domestic LLC, filed with the SSNY on 2/18/16.
Office location: Westchester County.
SSNY is designated as agent upon whom
process against the LLC may be served.
SSNY shall mail process to George
DíArbeau, 8 Custis Ave., White Plains, NY
10603. General purpose. #60475
CHARLES SILVESTRO LLC. Art. of Org.
filed with the SSNY on 2/5/16. Office:
Westchester County. SSNY designated
as agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall mail
copy of process to the LLC, 821 Fenimore
Rd., Mamaroneck, NY 10543. Purpose:
Any lawful purpose. #60476
Notice of Formation of NORTHEAST
UTILITY EQUIPMENT REPAIR, LLC of
Org. filed with SSNY ON 1/7/16. Office
location: Westchester County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom
process may be served . SSNY shall mail
process to Doug Winston 90 SOUTH
CENTRAL AVENUE, ELMSFORD, NY
10509. Purpose: any lawful act or activity. #60477
Notice of Formation of 11 First Street,
LLC. Articles of Organization were filed
with the Secretary of State of New York
(SSNY) on 02/16/2016. Office located
in Westchester County. SSNY has been
designated as agent of the LLC upon
whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail a copy of any process
to: The LLC, 69 Meadow Lane, New
Rochelle, NY 10805, principal business
location of the LLC. Purpose: any lawful
act or activity. #60478
Notice of Formation of SFNY Consulting,
LLC. Articles of Organization were filed
with SSNY on 01/11/16. Office Loc:
Westchester Co. SSNY designated
as agent upon which process may be
served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any
process against it served upon him/her
to: 10222 Kaimu Dr, Huntington Beach,
CA 92646. LLC may engage in any lawful
act or activity for which a limited liability
company may be formed. #60479
Notice of Publication of Authority to
do business in New York of Soraghan
Construction, LLC ("LLC") Application of
Authority was filed with the NY Secretary
of State ("SSNY") on March 4, 2016. The
LLC formed in Connecticut on December
31, 1998. Office location is in Westchester
County. SSNY has been designated as
agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall
mail a copy of such process to the LLC
c/o is Paul Soraghan, 4 Old North Road,
Barkhamsted, Connecticut 06057. Our
office location is in Westchester County.
Copies of Certificate of Organization of
LLC are on file and may be obtained from
the Office of the Secretary of the State of
Connecticut, 30 Trinity Street, Hartford,
CT 06106. Purpose of business is any
lawful act or activity. #60480
Notice of Formation of a BSSNY Sports
and Entertainment LLC, Art.of Org. filed
with the N.Y.S. Department of State on
03/11/2016. Principal Office: Westchester
County. Process
Service address:
BSSNY Sports and Entertainment
LLC, 790 Bronx River Road Suite A53,
Bronxville NY 10708. Purpose: Any
Lawful activity #60481
Notice of Formation of YWKMN, LLC Art.
Of Org. filed with SSNY on 02/11/16. Offc.
Loc: Westchester Cty. SSNY designated
as agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall mail
process to YWKMN LLC, PO BOX #1223
Yonkers, NY 10703. Purpose: any lawful
purpose #60482
Notice of formation of Kreative Solutions,
LLC. Articles of Organization filed with
SSNY on 12/22/2015. Office Location:
Westchester County. SSNY designated
as agent of the LLC upon whom process
against it may be served. SSNY shall mail
process to the LLC, 429 E. Prospect Ave.
Mount Vernon, NY 10553. Purpose: any
lawful purpose. Ad # 60459
Notice of Formation of Noon Industries,
LLC. Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on
01/08/2016. Offc. Loc: Westchester Cty.
SSNY desig. as agent of the LLC upon
whom process against it may be served.
SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 236
Clinton Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801.
Purpose: any lawful purpose. Ad # 60460

INDEX NO.: 53023/2015.
Date Filed: 2/11/2016.
SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS WITH NOTICE
MORTGAGED PREMISES: 306 Columbus Avenue, West Harrison, New York 10604.
BL #: 872 ñ 14 & 15.
Plaintiﬀ designates WESTCHESTER County as the place of trial; venue is based upon the county in which the
mortgaged premises is situate.
STATE OF NEW YORK
SUPREME COURT: COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., Plaintiﬀ,
-againstUNKNOWN HEIRS TO THE ESTATE OF KATHERINE MCDOWALL A/K/A KATHERINE J. MCDOWALL A/K/A
CATHERINE MCDOWALL A/K/A CATHERINE J. MCDOWALL, if living, and if dead, the respective heirs at law, next
of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, devisees, legatees, assignors, lienors, creditors and successors in interest, and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said defendant who may be
deceased, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described
in the complaint herein, and their respective husbands, wives or widows, if any, and each and every person not
speciﬁcally named who may be entitled to or claim to have any right, title or interest in the property described in
the veriﬁed complaint; all of whom and whose names and places of residence unknown, and cannot after diligent
inquiry be ascertained by the Plaintiﬀ, ET AL., Defendants.
TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS:
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the Complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if
the Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the attorneys for the Plaintiﬀ
within 20 days after the service of this Summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after service is
complete if this Summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of New York). In case of your failure to
appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
NOTICE
YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE MORTGAGE COMPANY WHO
FILED THIS FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT, A
DEFAULT JUDGMENT MAY BE ENTERED AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR HOME. SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY OR GO
TO THE COURT WHERE YOUR CASE IS PENDING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON HOW TO ANSWER THE
SUMMONS AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY. SENDING PAYMENT TO YOUR MORTGAGE COMPANY WILL
NOT STOP THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION. YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE ANSWER ON
THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF (MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH THE COURT.
THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage to secure $750,000.00 and interest,
recorded in the Oﬃce of the Clerk of WESTCHESTER on December 17, 2009, in CONTROL NUMBER 493153073,
covering premises known as 306 Columbus Avenue, West Harrison, New York 10604 ñ BLOCK LOT IN WHICH
INDEXED: BLOCK 872 LOT 14 & 15.
The relief sought in the within action is a ﬁnal judgment directing the sale of the premises described above to
satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. The Plaintiﬀ also seeks a deﬁciency judgment against
the Defendant and for any debt secured by said Mortgage which is not satisﬁed by the proceeds of the sale of said
premises.
TO the Defendant(s) UNKNOWN HEIRS OF THE ESTATE OF KATHERINE MCDOWELL A/K/A KATHERINE J.
MCDOWALL A/K/A CATHERINE MCDOWALL A/K/A CATHERINE J. MCDOWALL, the foregoing Supplemental
Summons with Notice is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order of the Hon. Terry Jane Ruderman,
J.S.C of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Westchester, dated January 21, 2016.
Dated: New Rochelle, NY
February 5, 2016
MCCABE, WEISBERG & CONWAY, P.C.
/s/_________________
Natalie Giraldo, Esq.
Attorneys for Plaintiﬀ
145 Huguenot St., Ste. 210
New Rochelle, NY 10801
p. 914-636-8900
f. 914-636-8901
HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS IN FORECLOSURE NEW YORK STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE SEND YOU THIS
NOTICE ABOUT THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT
YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME. IF YOU FAIL TO RESPOND TO THE SUMMONS AND COMPLAINT IN THIS FORECLOSURE ACTION, YOU MAY LOSE YOUR HOME. PLEASE READ THE SUMMONS AND
COMPLAINT CAREFULLY. YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY CONTACT AN ATTORNEY OR YOUR LOCAL LEGAL AID
OFFICE TO OBTAIN ADVICE ON HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE.
The State encourages you to become informed about your options in foreclosure. In addition to seeking assistance
from an attorney or legal aid oﬃce, there are government agencies and non-proﬁt organizations that you may
contact for information about possible options, including trying to work with your lender during this process.
To locate an entity near you, you may call the toll-free helpline maintained by the New York State Banking Department of Financial Services at 1-800-342-3736 or visit the Department’s website at www.dfs.ny.gov.
FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCAMS
Be careful of people who approach you with oﬀers to “save” your home. There are individuals who watch for notices of foreclosure actions in order to unfairly proﬁt from a homeowner’s distress. You should be extremely careful
about any such promises and any suggestions that you pay them a fee or sign over your deed. State law requires
anyone oﬀering such services for proﬁt to enter into a contract which fully describes the services they will perform
and fees they will charge, and which prohibits them from taking any money from you until they have completed all
such promised services. #60442

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing
Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an
Order of the Hon. Joan B. Lefkowitz, a Justice of the Supreme
Court, Westchester County, dated March 6, 2014 and filed
with the complaint and other papers in the Westchester
County Clerkís Office.

SANTANDER BANK, N.A.,

The object of the action is to foreclose a mortgage recorded in
said Clerkís Office on January 30, 3008 in Control #480220242
covering prem. k/a 164 Phyllis Court, Yorktown Heights, NY
10598 a/k/a Section 17.14, Block 1, and Lot 70. Plaintiff designates WESTCHESTER County as the place for trial. Venue
is based upon the County in which the mortgaged premises
are situated.

Plaintiff,

NOTICEYOU ARE IN DANGER. OF LOSING YOUR HOME

-against-

If you do not respond to this summons and complaint by
serving a copy of the answer on the attorney for the mortgage
company who filed this foreclosure proceeding against you
and filing the answer with the court, a default judgment may
be entered and you can lose your home.

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OP NEW YORK . COUNTY
OF WESTCHESTER

JOSEPH PERUSKO,
and all the heirs at law, next of kin, distributccs, devisees,
grantees, trustees, lienors, creditors, assignees and successors in interest of any of the aforesaid defendants at law,
next of kin, distributees, devisees, grantees, trustees, honors,
creditors, assignees and successors in interest of the aforesaid classes of persons, if they or any of them be dead, and
their respective husbands, wives or widows, if any, all of whom
and whose names and places of residence are unknown to the
plaintiff, except as herein, stated, The People of The State of
New York, The United States of America,
Regina Perusko a/k/a Regina M. Perusko, Platinum Financial
Services Corp., New York State Tax Commission; Internal
Revenue Service- United States of America, Asset Acceptance
LL C, Arrow Financial Services LLC,
Defendants.
TO THE ABOVE DEFENDANTS:
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint
in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or if the
Complaint is not served with this Summons, to serve a Notice
of Appearance on the Plaintiffís attorneys within twenty (20)
days after the service of the Summons exclusive of the day
of service or within thirty (30) days after completion of service
where service is made in any other manner than by personal
delivery within the State. In case of your failure to appear, or
answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the
relief demanded in this Complaint.

Speak to an attorney or go to the court where your case is
pending for further information on how to answer the summons and protect your property. Sending a payment to your
mortgage company will not stop this foreclosure action.
YOU MUST RESPOND BY SERVING A COPY OF THE
ANSWER ON THE ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF
(MORTGAGE COMPANY) AND FILING THE ANSWER WITH
THE COURT.
Dated: Carle Place, New York
January 7, 2014
STEIN, WIENER & ROTH, L.L.P. Attorneys for Plaintiff
Janet Nina Esagoff, Esq.
One Old Country Road, Suite 113
Carle Place, New York 11514
(516) 742-1212
62182/FSOV
#87895 #60446

LEGAL NOTICES
STATE OF NEW YORK
SUPREME COURT, WESTCHESTER COUNTY
In the Matter of the Foreclosure of Tax Liens
by Proceeding In Rem pursuant to Article
Eleven of the Real Property Tax Law by
the City of New Rochelle

The above-captioned proceeding is hereby commenced to enforce the payment of delinquent taxes or other lawful charges which
have accumulated and become liens against certain property. The parcels to which this proceeding applies are identiﬁed on Schedule A of this Petition, which is annexed hereto and made a part hereof. This document serves both as a Petition of Foreclosure and
a Notice of Foreclosure for purposes of this proceeding.
Eﬀect of ﬁling: All persons having or claiming to have an interest in the real property described in this petition are hereby notiﬁed
that the ﬁling of this petition constitutes the commencement by the Tax District of a proceeding in the court speciﬁed in the caption
above to foreclose each of the tax liens therein described by a foreclosure proceeding in rem.
Nature of proceeding: This proceeding is brought against the real property only and is to foreclose the tax liens described in this
petition. No personal judgment will be entered herein for such taxes or other legal charges or any part thereof.
Persons aﬀected: This notice is directed to all persons owning or having or claiming to have an interest in the real property
described in this petition. Such persons are hereby notiﬁed further that a duplicate of this petition has been ﬁled in the oﬃce of the
Enforcing Oﬃcer of the Tax District and will remain open for public inspection up to and including the date speciﬁed below as the
last day for redemption.
Right of redemption: Any person having or claiming to have an interest in any such real property and the legal right thereto may on
or before said Redemption Date redeem the same by paying the amount of all such unpaid tax liens thereon, including all interest
and penalties and other legal charges which are included in the lien against such real property, computed to and including the date
of redemption. Such payments shall be made to: Tax Collector - New Rochelle, 515 North Avenue, New Rochelle, New York 10801.
In the event that such taxes are paid by a person other than the record owner of such real property, the person so paying shall be
entitled to have the tax liens aﬀected thereby satisﬁed of record.
Last day for redemption: The last day for redemption is hereby ﬁxed as April 20, 2016.
Service of answer: Every person having any right, title or interest in or lien upon any parcel of real property described in this petition may serve a duly veriﬁed answer upon the attorney for the Tax District setting forth in detail the nature and amount of his or her
interest and any defense or objection to the foreclosure. Such answer must be ﬁled in the Oﬃce of the County Clerk and served
upon the attorney for the Tax District on or before the date above mentioned as the last day for redemption.
Failure to redeem or answer: In the event of failure to redeem or answer by any person having the right to redeem or answer, such
person shall be forever barred and foreclosed of all his or her right, title and interest and equity of redemption in and to the parcel
described in this petition and a judgment in foreclosure may be taken by default.

_____________________________
Howard Rattner
Commissioner of Finance
City of New Rochelle
STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER

)
) ss.:

I, Howard Rattner, being duly sworn, depose and say: I am the Enforcing Oﬃcer for the City of New Rochelle. I have read this Petition and Notice of Foreclosure, which I have signed, and I am familiar with its contents. The contents of this Petition and Notice of
Foreclosure are true to the best of my knowledge, based upon the records of the City of New Rochelle. I do not know of any errors
or omissions in this Petition and Notice of Foreclosure.
____________________________
Howard Rattner
Commissioner of Finance
City of New Rochelle
STATE OF NEW YORK
COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER

)
) ss.:

I, Howard Rattner, being duly sworn, depose and say: I am the Enforcing Oﬃcer for the City of New Rochelle. I have read this Petition and Notice of Foreclosure, which I have signed, and I am familiar with its contents. The contents of this Petition and Notice of
Foreclosure are true to the best of my knowledge, based upon the records of the City of New Rochelle. I do not know of any errors
or omissions in this Petition and Notice of Foreclosure.
____________________________
Howard Rattner
Commissioner of Finance
Sworn to before me this ___ day of January 2016.
___________________________
Notary Public
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